Financial aid still needed, PAS tells PH government

MARANG: PAS has urged the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government to continue providing financial aid for the poor through a concept similar to the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) introduced by the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) administration.

Its president Abdul Hadi Awang said such aid should not be stopped abruptly but instead continued to help reduce the people’s burden due to the rising cost of living.

“What is important is to maintain the concept to help the poor. Maybe some improvement is needed but it must be done systematically.

“Don’t just stop it abruptly. We have to really address the poverty issue among the people,” he told reporters after the launch of an artificial reef here today.

Also present were State Agriculture, Agro-based Industry and Rural Development Committee chairman Azman Ibrahim and state Fisheries Department director Zawawi Ali.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was quoted as saying that his administration aimed to reduce BR1M in stages before the programme is fully discontinued.